


Outside Overwatch

by albinosilver



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Fluff, Gen, au-ish, domestic life, kitty76, like literally a cat
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-06-22
Updated: 2016-06-24
Packaged: 2018-07-16 15:11:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 2,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7273120
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/albinosilver/pseuds/albinosilver
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of shorts featuring Reaper's life outside of work. Just a bunch of cutesy stuff :^)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Meeting

**Author's Note:**

> related: creamgravy.tumblr.com/post/146086420444

Rain pelted Reaper's leather jacket as he sped down the freeway on his Harley, trails of water trickling down the skull decal on both sides of the bike. He had been forced to work overtime again and the roads were already empty now that he was finally on his way home. He rode in silence for several moments, thinking gloomily about whatever microwave dinner that awaited him. He sighed, a thick, black smoke rising from underneath his mask. A sudden car horn sounding from behind brought him back to the moment.

Reaper was almost certain as to what this was going to be about.

"What's with that getup, you freak. You're scaring the children!" A middle aged woman waved a finger at him from the passenger seat as the car pulled up to speed next to him.

Reaper wished his bike could just disappear with him as he passed the car without so much of a glance over. 

It wasn't long before his mind was onto more concerning issues, like if he had enough buckets to catch all the leaks in his apartment. _This rain didn't look like it was giving up any time soon._

As he rounded the last block, Reaper caught a glimpse of movement in the neighbouring lot, something white, contrasting from the dark shrubbery. _A newspaper caught in the branches, perhaps._ Reaper found himself slowing to a stop. He thought to himself in disbelief, _when did he start caring so much about the environment?_ Maybe he just wasn't so eager to get home after all.

To his surprise, the newspaper meowed at him. 

The kitten was visibly shivering, its white fur plastered to its body, soaked in rain and blood from an open gash across its face. Despite its predicament, it still hissed and spat as Reaper reached down for it. 

_Right._ Reaper removed his mask in one hand. If his outfit was already scaring people, he couldn't imagine how terrifying it must be to such a tiny kitten. "I won't hurt you." He gently picked up the kitten by the scruff with his free hand. It looked back at him with alarmed, blue eyes but didn't react any further. He tucked the small, frightened body into his coat, wincing a little as he felt sharp claws prick his chest. 

\---

Gabriel threw some towels to the floor at the already forming puddles. He'd have to worry about the leaks later. He ran around the apartment in a hurry, completely neglecting to remove his boots or coat, and pulled out an old portable heater from the closet. The heater wheezed to life, clanking loudly as its fan spun. Gabriel glanced down his coat at the kitten, who had finally relaxed in the warmth. He placed the wet bundle of fur in front of the heater. The kitten meowed in protest as he carefully dabbed its wound with antiseptic. 

Gabriel lay down on the floor next to the kitten, exhausted from his day. He closed his eyes. To his surprise, he heard a soft purring approach. He felt fur brush up against his cheek as the kitten nuzzled his scruffy beard. The kitten soon settled in the crook of his neck, continuing to purr as it drifted off to sleep. 

Gabriel sighed, this time out of happiness.


	2. Thankful

_Jack._

The etched name dangled from a red, white and blue collar, clinking softly. Its owner yawned in the afternoon sun and lazily licked at a rough, pink paw pad. Jack eyed the scenery from his perch atop a park bench. Stealth was much less relevant in the city. His hunting grounds consisted mainly of concrete streets and any grass was always kept trimmed. _Not that his coat offered any camouflage anyway._

The white cat suddenly dropped to a crouch, tensing as he spotted movement ahead. A flock of pigeons squabbling over spilt french fries. Jack leaped from the bench and quickly closed the distance. His last bound found feathers and flesh as he swiftly dealt with his prey. The rest of the birds scattered in a fury of coos.

Jack was very pleased with himself, a low rumble forming in his throat as he snapped up the limp body in his jaws. _For Gabriel._ He thought, heading back home.

\---

Gabriel lay sprawled out on the couch, one arm hanging off the side, a remote in hand, the other, picking through a bowl of SpaghettiOs with a spoon. His long coat draped over the couch like a curtain, but at least he had remembered to take off his boots this time. Gabriel flipped through channels as he looked down at his food. _Huh, is that.._ A small, grey feather floated in his bowl. Before he could react, the rest of the bird followed. Gabriel lurched back in surprise, sending soup and feathers flying in all directions. His bowl clattered to the ground and he looked up just in time to meet the amused gaze of the feline.

"I'll kill you!" Gabriel threatened. 

Jack wasn't the least bit intimidated. He jumped down and began licking soup off Gabriel's face, meowing apologetically. Gabriel couldn't stay mad. 

"You know this is my favourite outfit.." He said in defeat as he picked off a few noodles from his beanie and got up to clean the mess.

\---

Gabriel returned to his original position on the couch, hair slick from his shower, still smelling faintly of tomato soup. He was wearing a black PJ set with skull patterns. _Edgy._ Jack thought. He kneaded the fabric before curling up and getting comfortable on Gabriel's chest. Gabriel reached out with a gloved hand to stroke the white cat, gently scratching behind his ears. He traced the long scar across Jack's face with his thumb and thought of the day they met. The two stared at each other in silence, and at that moment, everything was okay.


	3. Intruder

There was a click to the footsteps in the hallway. Something sharp against the laminate flooring. Jack's ears perked up. _That didn't sound like Gabriel._ He scented the air, desperately searching for a smell he recognized to reassure himself. _There was none._ His fur bristled. _If it really came down to it, he'd fight to the death to defend his home._

He positioned himself right outside of the door, coiled and ready to strike at whoever entered. He heard the stranger fumbling with keys, and then the turning of the doorknob. As the door slowly creaked open, he pounced. His front claws dug into fabric, red and yellow in colour, and he tore into it. _It tasted dusty in his mouth._ He scrabbled to cling on, but his back claws found no grip. _What is this...metal?_

"Woah there." 

Jack felt himself getting scruffed. He was plucked from his foe and momentarily held, suspended mid air, before being set down gently. He hissed, fur bristling wildly. The mystery man looked more concerned than threatening, his expression barely visible from the overcast of his cowboy hat. A large, brightly coloured cloth covered most of his top half. Jack noted the tears he had added to the serape. _Serves him right._ There was also some sort of armour underneath. _Or else he would've been dead._ Jack thought bitterly as he continued to size up his opponent. His eyes moving to the man's metal arm, his unkempt beard, his spurred boots.. _Wait, does his belt really say that?_ Jack's focus shifted to the intruder's unnecessarily large belt buckle. _Oh jeez, this guy's fashion sense is even worse than Gabriel's._

"Should've warned you, Jesse." Jack heard Gabriel's voice coming up the stairs and relaxed his guard a little.

"It's alright, partner." Jesse crouched to be more on level with Jack. "Howdy" He playfully made his fingers into a gun shape and gestured towards the cat. "Didn't mean to scare ya." Jack's ears were flat against his head in disapproval, but he felt safer now that he knew Gabriel was around. "The name's McCree, Jesse McCree."

Completely ignoring the introduction, Jack ran over to greet Gabriel as he appeared in the doorway. Gabriel scooped up the white cat in strong arms and held him adoringly. Jack buried his face into black leather and breathed in the familiar scent.

"He's a colleague of mine." Gabriel explained. "We just have some work to finish for an upcoming mission."

\---

 _How long was this going to take?_ Jack paced around the apartment impatiently. The two men were gathered around the table, absorbed in their discussion, pointing at papers and information on screen. _Maybe I'll just go out for a bit._

\---

Jack dropped the freshly killed mouse at Gabriel's feet. _I brought you dinner._ He tugged at the long coat.

"Not now, Jack."

 _Not now, Jack._ Jack mocked. He walked over to his food bowl and began meowing loudly for attention.

"Your food bowl is full, Jack."

 _Hmph._ Jack's tail twitched in annoyance. _Oh! I know._ He retrieved the TV remote from the couch and nudged it into Gabriel's hand. _Come on._

"I'm busy, Jack." He took the remote and placed it aside on the counter.

 _You._ Jack glared at Jesse from a distance. _This is your fault._ He fell to the floor dramatically and rolled onto his back, letting his legs go limp. _Help, Gabe, I'm dying._ No response. _This was it. Things would never be the same again. He'd never get to be with Gabriel again. His life was ov-_

"Alright, I'll see you tomorrow." There was a click as the door closed shut.

Jack perked up, suddenly alive and well. He scanned the room. _The cowboy was nowhere to be seen._

"He's gone," Gabriel confirmed as he took a seat on the couch. Jack seized the moment, hopping up onto Gabriel's lap and disappearing under his shirt. "I'm sorry." Gabriel addressed the lump in his shirt, stroking it gently. A loud purring arose from underneath. _He had already been forgiven._


	4. Mirror

"You named a cat after me?"

Soldier 76 carefully propped up his pulse rifle against the wall and watched in amusement as the feline circled around his feet. "Do you really miss me this much off work?"

The white cat rubbed up against his legs, clearly approving of this visitor. 

Gabriel simply shrugged off the question.

"And when did you start dressing so casual?" Soldier 76 pressed. Gabriel was wearing only a black undershirt with his skull print PJ bottoms, his signature mask, coat, and clawed gloves were nowhere to be seen. 

Gabriel ran a hand through his hair. "Jack uh... he likes me better this way," he pointed at the cat who meowed back in agreement. 

On the contrary, Soldier 76 was mission-ready. His jacket, his visor, _his weapon_ , Gabriel eyed the large gun sitting against the wall. He even had his biotic field canisters strung along his belt. 

"Don't you have a plane to Hanamura to catch?" Gabriel suddenly remembered. 

"That's what I'm here to talk about." Soldier 76 folded his arms across his chest, seemingly comfortable in his taut standing position. "They ended up assigning McCree to the Hanamura mission." 

Gabriel nodded slightly to confirm that he was listening.

"His skill set was a better match for the mission profile, it seems." Soldier 76 continued. "Anyhow, they've stationed me here with you."

Gabriel blinked back surprise. "Like, here here?" he gestured to the whole of the room.

"Correct." 

\---

It wasn't long before Soldier 76 realized that he wasn't going to get anything done here. _Not today, at least._ After all, it was still early afternoon on a Saturday and Gabriel and his feline counterpart were taking a snooze on the couch. Their laziness was contagious. He abandoned his post on the kitchen stool, leaving a mess of files on the counter.

"Hey, move over." Soldier 76 nudged his sleeping friend. Gabriel hummed, still half asleep, and rolled over onto his side to make some room. The white cat yawned and shifted as well as not to get crushed in between them. Soldier 76 took up his spot on the couch. It wasn't the most comfortable. In fact, he was dangerously close to falling off, but he's had worse. He closed his eyes. He felt Gabriel wrap an arm around him, pulling him closer.

"Jack..?"

He waited a moment before replying to make sure it wasn't the cat that was being addressed.

"Yes?"

"I really do miss you a lot after work."

Jack smiled. "Go back to sleep, Gabe."


	5. Home

Soldier 76 had always liked the rain and found it very relaxing to sleep to, but this wasn't quite what he had in mind. He awoke with a start as an icy drop struck him on the forehead. He stared up at the ceiling, suddenly aware of its condition. The plaster was sunken with moisture. With a groan, he rolled onto his side to avoid the worst of it. 

_That's when he saw Gabriel._ The other man had claimed every inch of the blankets. He was fast asleep in his cocoon, his beloved cat tucked in beside him. Soldier 76 realized that he himself was freezing. _Damn it, Gabe._ He mouthed as he tugged at the sheets, but to no avail.

As a last ditch effort, Soldier 76 reached for his jacket hanging by the bed and draped it over himself. The stiff leather offered very little warmth, but it'd have to do. _The complaints would come tomorrow._

\---

Soldier 76 stood threateningly over the table where Gabriel was eating a bowl of cereal. "We need to move."

"But I like it here. It's cozy" Gabriel said between a spoonful.

"This place literally floods every time it rains!" Soldier 76 put both hands down on the table.

"I know, that's why I'm prepared." Gabriel pointed to the dozen or so buckets scattered around the apartment.

 _Seriously?_ He wanted to say. Soldier 76 sighed and decided for a different approach. "If I'm to be working with you, we need a change of location. You've been operating here for far too long and it is inevitable that people will start getting suspicious, especially now that there are two of us."

Gabriel still wasn't convinced. "But most places these days don't allow cats.." 

_Oh, so that was his main concern._ Soldier 76 rubbed his temples. "I'm sure there's a way."

\---

A pair of furry ears poked out from the top of Reaper's coat, flicking to various directions, listening. The effect was comical.

"Do you really want to get discovered already?" Soldier 76 half joked. 

It was impossible to read Reaper's expression with his mask on. He looked severely unimpressed if anything. Reaper said nothing as he adjusted the collar of his coat with a clawed hand. A cloud of black smoke rose from underneath and the cat was nowhere to be seen. 

_Um._ Soldier 76 gulped.

They were here to sign the lease to their new apartment. Soldier 76 wanted it over with as soon as possible, but he was slowly losing hope that it could be accomplished without any mishaps. 

The place was perfect, luxurious even. It was mostly an open concept, with a large balcony and two bedrooms. _Jack can have his own play room!_ Gabriel had excitedly exclaimed to the cat. The kitchen and bathroom were newly renovated and emblazoned with metallic designs. What sold it to Soldier 76 though, was the massive span of windows that looked over the whole of the city. He deemed it acceptable to set up base. 

\---

"Sir, no smoking in this room." 

Soldier 76 and Reaper were sitting in the small room that the landlord had set up as his office. The landlord's voice sounded congested as he addressed Reaper with a concerned look. Reaper stared back through empty eye sockets. 

_Oh god, please don't say anything stupid._ Soldier 76 begged silently as he watched the dark fumes intensify around his friend. 

"Sorry, he has a...condition." Soldier 76 cut in. "We can sign quick and leave if it's bothering you."

"I can forgive the smoke." The landlord sniffed. "It's just I'm severely allergic to cats, and I know that-" He sneezed. "that one of my tenants is hiding one." He got up and stared towards the elevator that lead to the residences. "I will get to the bottom of this."

Soldier 76 and Reaper signed and booked it before any more suspicions could be drawn.

\---

Gabriel opened up his coat and Jack reappeared, a hint of smoke still clinging to his white fur. The cat hopped up onto one of the many packed boxes that filled the otherwise empty old apartment. _He seemed none the worse for being who knows where all day._


End file.
